Pressure device for the flints of lighters



Oct. 7, 1941. LBOLLE PRESSURE DEVICE FORTI-IE FLINTS OF'LIGHTERS Filed June 14, 1939' Patented Oct. 7, 1941 PRESSURE DEVICE Fon 'rnE mN'rs or LIGn'rEas Leon Bolle, Geneva,

Nationale S. A., Geneva, x ration of Switzerland Switzerland, assignor to La Switzerland, a corpo- Application June 14, 1939, Serial No. 279,224 In Switzerland July 9, 1,938

(ci. sv- 1.1)

'7 claims.

known-up to the present time, the pyrophoric flint is generally pressed against the friction wheel by a spring. The said spring expands in proportion to the wear of the flint and when it is desired to obtain a sufficient pressureuntil'the int has been used up completely, it is necessary either to provide means for adjusting thispressure or to Vuse a very long spring of which the pressure is only slightly modified as a result of thevshortening of the flint. But in order to mount a long spring in a lighter, it is frequently necessary to cause it to pass through the tank of thel lighter whereby the capacity of the latter is reduced. When `on the contrary it is desired to place the spring horizontally above the tankthe lighter must be made of a width which is at least equal to the `length of the compressed spring.

The present invention enables these disadvantages to be eliminated and in particular t0 mount the device which ensures the pressing up vof the flint entirely outside the tank, while the lighter is still of slender shape.

In the device forming the subject ofthe present invention, the spring is simply divided into a number of sections which are connected together mechanically, the two extreme sections each contact with one end, one against the pyrophoric flint and the other against a bearing point, in such a manner that as a whole they present the same elasticity as a single spring of the same total length as being capable, without adjustment, of the effective operation of the lighter until the flinthas been worn completely.

A form of construction of the subject of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing. g

The'fuel container I carries on its upper face a friction wheel 2 mounted on a shaft 3 driven by a knob E container. The support 5 for the shaft 3 is provided with an extension 6 in which is formed a tubular socket 1 and on the end of the shaft is pivotally mounted 'a member .8 provided with a tubular seating adapted to receive a pyrophoric flint 8. This member may be brought opposite another member I0 also provided with a tubular seating in which slides a hollow follower II provided with a projection I2 which passes through a longitudinal slot in the member I0 and enables the piston to be actuated manually when fitting the flint .8 in position. As will be seen from the drawing the follower II enters the socket con- In pyrophoric lighters in sectional elevation 4 projecting to the outside of 'the' all the sections, this elasticity taining the flint 9 and thus holds the member 8 in position. A

The members 6 and I0 do not extend up to the edge of the upper face of the container vI opposite that carrying the friction wheel 3, but leave at this point an open space I3 in which is mounted a` double armed lever I4 pivotally mounted at its mid-portion at I3 and of which the ends are respectively located opposite the socket 1 and the follower II. lever is provided at its lower end I6 with an opening in which is mounted the end of a guide rod I1 for a spring section I8. This rod is retained in position by a pin I9 againstwhich there bears one end of the spring I8 of which the other end is located in the tubular socket 1. The other end 20 of the lever I4 is provided with a small fixed projection which enters one end..EL

of a spring 2I located in the follower I I.

22 indicates the cover of the lighterv and is hinged at 23.'

The operation of this device will be readily understood. The two spring sections I8 and 2|,

arranged parallel to one-another and connected mechanically at one of their ends by means of the lever I4, a'ct on the flint 8 in the same manner as a spring formed in one piece of greater length, having an expansion and a force sufllcient to ensure the satisfactory operation of the lighter. As will bev seen from this form of -construction the thrust of'the spring section I8 on its bearing point takes place in the same direction as that of the section 2I on the .flint 8.

The piston II passes into the member 8 in proportion to the wear of the flint 9 against the friction wheel 2. For inserting a new flint thel follower II is withdrawn rearwardly against the action of the springs I8, 2Ivby means oi the knob I2 until the member 8 has been disengaged and can pivot laterally.

vIt will be obvious that the invention may be carried out in a manner different from that shown in the drawing.

The guide rod I1 may in some cases-be omitted or a similar guide may be provided on the end 20 of the lever I4. The spring may be divided into more than two sections in such a manner as -to make it of vmuch greater length and the various sections need not necessarily be located parallel to one another.

Thisarrangement has the considerable ad- I vantage of enabling spring sections to be mounted in lighters of small dimensions at a point where the construction o'f the lighter leaves the necessary space.

The double armed 'I claim:

1. A ,device for pressing a flint against a friction wheel comprising in combinations shaft, an operating knob mounted on said shaft, a friction wheel mounted on said shaft, a guide member pivotally mounted on said shaft, a flint 1ocated in said guide-member, a second guide member on said shaft, a third guide member mounted adjacent the ends of said nrst two guide members, a hollow follower mounted in said third guide member, said follower engaging the first guide member and being adapted to bear against said flint, a projection on said follower for retractlng the same, a spring located in said hollow follower. a spring located in said second guide member, said springs extending parallel to one another, a guide rod located in said second spring, a plvotally mounted lever, one end of said lever being engaged by said guide' rod and the other end of said lever engaging said rst mentioned spring.

2. In a lighter, the combination with a flint wheel, a flint, a guide for the flint, of means for pressing the flint in the guide toward the wheel, said means comprising a plurality -oi' normally compressed springs arranged in spaced parallel relation and having one pair of vrelated ends abutting a lever pivoted between its ends, said' springs also having their other pair of ends respectively abutting the flint in the guide and a fixed abutment.

3. In a lighter, the combinationwith a flint wheel, a flint, and a guide for the flint, of means for pressing the flint in the guide toward the wheel, said means comprising a tubular follower provided at one end. with a wall whose outer side abuts against the flint and whose inner side constitutes a 4spring abutment face, a lever having an intermediate pivot and the opposite ends thereof constituting spring abutments, a spring confined in the tubular follower between the abutment face thereof and one abutment of the lever, a second spring having'one end engaginga fixed abutment and its opposite end engaging the other abutment of said lever.

4. In a lighter, the combinationwith a flint wheel, a flint, a tubular flint guide mounted for pivotal movement co-axially with the flint wheel, a fixed support, a tubular follower slidable in said flxed support and having one end adapted to register with the tubular mnt guide. mem

on the tubular follower for manually slidingthe same to disengage the tubular nint guide, a first compressed spring in the tubular follower for advancing the same toward the flint, and auxill lary means including a second compressed spring for exerting force against the rear of the rst named spring for advancing the same toward the flint to compensate for said loss of compression in the first named spring as it expands due to wearof the flint, said second spring being mounted to exert its force along al line dilferent from the line along which said first spring exerts force. said auxiliary means further comprising a serial connection between said springs which positively adds their respective resilient forces serially and colinearly against said flint. l

5. In a lighter, the combination with a flint wheel, a flint, a guide for the flint and a fixed spring abutment, of means for pressing the flint in the guide toward the wheel, said means comprising a set of normally compressed springs arranged in spaced parallel relation and having their inner ends engaging an abutment pivoted between its ends, said springs having their outer ends respectively abutting the flint in the guide and said fixed spring abutment.

6. In a pyrophoric lighter including a flint wheel and a flint, means for urging the flint against the flint wheel, comprising, a plurality oi normally compressed coll springs one of which engages the flint, said springs arranged in paraiiel side by side relation, and means at the adjacent ends of each spring for causing them to transmit their combined energies to the flint thereby automatically to feed the flint to the wheel until it is completely worn away;

'7. In a pyrophoric lighter. a flint, a flint wheel, and elastic means for urging said flint against said -flint wheel comprising a pair of helical springs mounted with their axes parallel and spaced apart, a first one of said springs being mounted to bear on one of its ends against said flint, an abutment against which the second oi' s aid springs bears on one of its ends, said elastic means further comprising a lever connection connecting the free ends of said springs and adapted to additively apply the combined forces of said 

